The Grafton Public Library will be CLOSED to the public for renovation from Monday April 22 through Monday June 10, 2013. The renovation calls for a wheelchair lift and accessible restroom, new carpeting, and other accessibility and safety improvements to bring the 1927 facility (built for a population of 6,000) up to code. “We are thrilled to be moving forward with this project,” said Beth Gallaway, Library Director, “and delighted at the prospect of being accessible to all members of our community at last.”

Effective immediately, all borrowing limits on Grafton items are waived! Patrons are invited to borrow as many movies, books, CDs, and audiobooks that you think you might need for the duration of the renovation. Overdue fines for materials due between April 22 and July 1 will be waived. If you have booked museum passes, please call us to discuss alternatives.

All 3-week books, audiobooks, and DVDs checked out after April 4 will have a June 11 due date; all 7-day books, magazines, and videos checked out after April 14 will have a June 11 due date. Items currently on hold will be automatically routed to the Millbury Public Library, 128 Elm Street, Millbury MA 01527. Patrons placing holds after April 10 will be able to choose any location except Grafton to pick up newly requested items.

After April 20, no Grafton Public Library materials may be returned in Grafton; although materials may be returned to other area libraries, patrons are encouraged to keep items in a safe place at home until the library reopens to the public in June. The book drops will not be available; materials left outside of the library building during construction are subject to lost book fees.

Grafton library cards may be used at any C/W MARS member library, and with a government issued ID, anywhere in the Commonwealth. The Grafton Public Library offers a variety of digital resources as well, including downloadable eBooks, a language learning program, magazines and newspapers, and streaming independent films. Please visit www.graftonlibrary.org for a complete list of offerings.

We understand this is an inconvenience, and appreciate your patience and continued patronage. We look forward to seeing you out and about in the community! May children’s programs will take place in partnership with Apple Tree Arts, and we’ll be doing outreach in as many locations as will take us in: schools, daycares, and local organizations.

To follow construction updates, and get a list of the closest local public libraries, please bookmark our new blog here at at graftonpl.wordpress.org; for more information, please contact Beth Gallaway, Library Director, at 508-839-4649 or bgallaway@cwmars.org.

A building permit was obtained March 25 for the Library’s accessibility project, and Seaver Construction is now on site to meet with subcontractors, order materials and put together the schedule of work to be done. We are expecting a back hoe to arrive this week to begin excavation for the foundation of the addition that will house the wheelchair lift–how exciting!

Follow to this blog via email or RSS feed (links on the right!), or check out our Flickr Photo Stream for updates.

Please, for your safety, we ask that the public to respect the boundaries of the orange snow fencing and/or any posted signage and stay away from the construction area. The Library will remain open for a portion of the project, and your health and well-being is top priority.

Construction meetings are weekly at 11am on Thursdays, beginning Thursday April 4, in the main reading room of the Library. A rough schedule of library closures should be available after this date. There may be more people and noise than customary at this time of day. Please plan your library use accordingly.

All questions, concerns and comments may be addressed to the Library Director, Beth Gallaway, at bgallaway@cwmars.org or 508-839-4649.

Tired of the Same Old Relationships? Need Something New and Exciting? How about a blind date with a book? During the month of February, stop by and check out a specially wrapped book from our display. Take it home, unwrap it, read it, and enjoy! If you don’t like the book, simply return it to the library, it’s feelings won’t be hurt.
After reading the book, write a brief review using the review form inside of the book. Bring your review to the Circulation Desk by February 28 to be entered into a drawing to win a box of chocolates! Winner will be chosen on March 1.

The Friends of the Grafton Public Library invite the community to a book read on Tuesday March 19 at the Community Barn on Wheeler Road, Grafton. Come by at 7pm and enjoy the Apple Tree Arts music as well as light refreshments as fellow book readers gather. This is an annual event that continually draws a large crowd of women, men, and students of all ages. Many are book club readers. Many are first time attenders, eager to learn more about the storylines. All are welcome for an evening of lively discussion, led by Helen Whall.

The featured selection for the Community Read is The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes, a short novel that many will choose to read in one sitting. The story revolves around a middle-aged man, Tony Webster. Tony is comfortable with his past, his career, his retirement and his family life – until old childhood friends suddenly reappear.

Reserved copies of The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes are at the Grafton Library on the Commons, so be sure to pick up in advance, or reserve a copy for yourself in time for the event. It is also available as an ebook and a digital audiobook.

Book discussion moderator Helen Whall is a professor of English at the College of the Holy Cross. Helen has written about Shakespeare and modern drama as well as detective stories and popular culture and is a frequent lecturer throughout the Massachusetts’ library system.